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A10 WORLD NEWS
Monday 26 June 2017

Turkey rejects Arab terms to Qatar, U.S. urges sides to talk

By ZEYNEP BILGINSOY
Associated Press
ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkey’s
president on Sunday re-
jected a demand by ma-
jor Arab states to remove
Turkish troops from Qatar,
among a sweeping list of
ultimatums that the United
States has described as
“difficult to meet.”
Speaking after Eid al-Fitr
prayers in Istanbul, Presi-
dent Recep Tayyip Erdo-
gan called the demand to
pull the Turkish troops “disre-
spectful” and said his coun-
try would not seek permis-
sion from others when mak-
ing its defense cooperation
agreements. “Demanding
that Turkey pull its soldiers
is unfortunately also disre-
spectful toward Turkey,” he
said. He said Turkey would
continue to support Qatar
against the many sanc- Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks to the media after the Eid al-Fitr prayers in Istanbul, early Sunday, June 25, 2017.
tions it has faced since sev- Associated Press
eral Arab countries moved the United Arab Emirates Thursday. Turkey has also based on a decision taken braces” Qatar’s attitude,
earlier this month to isolate includes major areas that shipped supplies and food by the two countries relying while slamming the de-
the country for its alleged “provide a basis for ongo- via cargo planes after on their sovereign rights,” mands by arguing they
support of terrorism. Turkey ing dialogue leading to a Erdogan said he made a ministry spokesman Huseyin contradict international
shipped suppliers and food resolution.” similar offer to Saudi Ara- Muftuoglu said. law. “Here we see an at-
via cargo planes to Qatar He called on the Arab bia to set up a base there Doha received a 13-point tack against a state’s sov-
after its neighbors closed countries to “sit together” in the past but did not hear list from Saudi Arabia, Unit- ereignty rights,” Erdogan
down air, land and sea with Qatar to work through back from the king. ed Arab Emirates, Egypt said. Erdogan called the
routes. what he hoped would be A Turkish foreign ministry and Bahrain that included demand that Qatar shut
The United States said the “reasonable and action- statement Sunday reiter- demands to shut down the down Al-Jazeera an at-
demands on Qatar by its able” demands. ated that the deployment media network Al-Jazeera tempt to take away the
Mideast neighbors “will be In a sign of support, the of Turkish troops in Qatar and cut ties with Islamist network’s press freedom
very difficult to meet.” But Turkish parliament swift- contributed to regional se- groups including the Mus- and urged rights groups to
the U.S. isn’t rejecting the ly ratified a 2014 military curity and was not aimed lim Brotherhood. The ener- speak out against that.
demands outright. agreement with Qatar at a specific country. gy-rich country said it was Erdogan spoke to journalists
Secretary of State Rex Til- earlier this month, allowing “Just like the presence of reviewing the ultimatum after experiencing a diabe-
lerson added in a state- the deployment of troops other foreign military bases but added it would not ne- tes-related blood pressure
ment Sunday that the list to its base there. The mili- or units in other countries of gotiate under siege. problem during prayers
of demands from Saudi tary said a contingent of 23 the region, our military pres- Turkey’s president said his marking the end of the holy
Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and soldiers reached Doha on ence in Qatar is principally country “admires and em- month of Ramadan.q